I highly recommend Mystery Show, which is getting a lot of press right now. Each week this woman solves a different mystery. Unlike Serial there's no ambiguity, she does reach a conclusion in every episode. There are wonderful, unexpected character moments too that are so touching. JB you will love it I think.

I've been listening to Mystery Show. Episodes 1 through 4 are amazing and everyone should listen to them.

I'm not so sure about the latest 2 installments, though. "Kotter" was interesting enough but (spoiler alert) didn't have a satisfying conclusion. "Source Code" almost turned me off from the podcast entirely. They had 20 minutes worth of content and padded it out with torturous unfunny cuteness. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Starlee Kine's personality. The podcast is strongest when she lets the "case" take over.

"Belt Buckle" is the best one for sure. That was genuine and profound. "Vanity Plate" is my runner-up.

Yeah I agree on Kotter. It wasn't interesting enough to warrant its inexplicably lengthy running time.

I find Starlee quite endearing but I can see how her twee sensibility would be grating for some. Source Code was interesting if for nothing else her big get at the end with the phone call. Apparently that episode took almost 3 years to finish.

Podcast highlight of my week so far: Read It and Weep takes on Tinkerbell and the Pirate Fairy. (This is an old episode, #266.) They inevitably speculate on what fairies use for tampons. (The answer may surprise you.)

The coolest one I've come across recently that really stuck with me was an episode of The Mild Adventures of Fred Stoller with Robert Forster as guest!! Now, since I'm absolutely positive none of you have any idea who Fred Stoller is, let me jog your memory with this clip from Dumb and Dumber, he's the guy outside of the phone booth:

That's his most prominent scene, but he's had a pretty steady career playing similarly anxious and wimpy men all over TV on shows ranging from Seinfeld to Wizards of Waverly Place. I just thought it was important to inform you before you listen to this that Fred Stoller IS a real actor, and not like some college kid who got Robert Forster to volunteer in doing this for a school project. The interview does have that feel at times, and Fred is a very naive and boyish man. I was impressed that Robert even gave him the time of day, to tell the truth. That's another thing that made this episode special, to see these two types who couldn't be further apart in style bond over their chosen career path.

What's really striking at first is how fucking cool Robert Forster's voice is, like you'd want to hear a whole audiobook read by him. It's endlessly fascinating to hear him talk about coming up in the 60's, working with John Huston, Marlon Brando, and Elizabeth Taylor on his first movie "Reflections In A Golden Eye". He has so many great stories to tell from his career, and as a guy of 74 he's so together. He shows no signs of slowing down and has the drive of a man 20, even 30 years his junior ( Stay tuned for him reprising the role of "Sheriff Harry Truman" on Twin Peaks!!! ) The interview is inspiring in a lot of ways, but mostly in how he delivers the message to "Never give up" and as long as you're putting your best foot forward in doing whatever it takes to use your creativity RIGHT NOW, then you've got a fighting chance at making it happen.

I hope that you guys give it a listen and do your best to ignore Fred's asinine questions and nasally voice.

Fred Stoller is one of those actors everyone recognizes from something. He also wrote this movie in which he also stars as just that type of "hey, it's that guy" actor who, in the movie, is most often recognized from a cameo he made in a low budget comedy called Ski Potty.

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Some people have a fear of snakes. That was a somewhat rational fear. And you could do something about it at least. Stay away from long grass and nature documentaries. Easy. Others have a fear of heights. That was manageable too. Avoid tall ladders. But how do you cope when your fear is something you can’t avoid? That you have no hope of staying away from? Being afraid of the sky, where are you going to go?

So I heard about this podcast recently through this site. I have listened to two episodes. What are some really good episodes? I am interested, but also kind of hate it at the same time.The dude is WAY too dramatic in his narration and treats people with mental health issues as monsters.

That said, I enjoy hearing about the cases enough to where I can usually ignore my dislike for his method.

Check out the thread if you haven't. I have more recommendations there.

Anyway, I agree with you. But I think Mike has made some adjustments and become more sensitive to a few different issues. He seems to respond well to criticism.

Definitely keep in mind that three episodes (that I can remember) include audio of a murder taking place:

- Ep 33: Listen to this — combined with its second part, it's one of the very best — but absolutely stop it near the very end when he starts talking about 2 Girls 1 Cup. What comes after is genuinely scarring and resulted in significant backlash.

- Ep 15: Real-life Fargo. Gunshots and a brief scream are audible, I think. But this episode will haunt you more because of the way the killer talks and behaves during the act. Remains one of the most affecting episodes.

- Ep 54: You hear a gunshot and the reaction of the victim's wife. Still really horrifying, but milder than the other two.

Latest This American Life has a fantastic and entertaining story about humans fighting over seals. I honestly never thought I'd find myself rooting against seal protectors, but I genuinely wanted to join in on the violence.

Seals are in need of protection as much as pigeons are (literally), and yet if you're an 8-year-old girl going up to pet a seal, you will get screamed at and chased down by a seal justice warrior.

Also, spoiler, that story is worth hearing just for the bumper song at the end of it. One of the most sublime moments in recent TAL history.